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Commentary: Sounders are as hot as the Pacific Northwest, and a tie at home doesn’t change that fact

Seattle Sounders Abdoulaye Cissoko, second from right, puts a header on goal but the shot is just right of the net in the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps, Saturday, June 26, 2021, in Seattle. (Dean Rutz/Seattle Times)
By Matt Calkins Seattle Times

They would have been the hottest team in town no matter what on Saturday, with Seattle temperatures reaching a torturous triple digits at one point in the afternoon. But the Sounders own that figurative title as well, even if their latest match didn’t result in a victory.

When Sounders defender Jimmy Medranda slipped the ball past Vancouver goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau in the 71st minute – the final goal of the match – it did not give the Sounders the lead. But it did end up being the reason for the Sounders extending their unbeaten streak to a franchise-record 11 games. The MLS record, held by the Galaxy, is 12.

Right now the Sounders (7-0-4) are the toughest out in the MLS. They might not be bulldozing the majority of the foes they face (four of their victories have been by one goal), but they’ve been impervious to L’s.

Does that mean they were in a celebratory mood after finishing in a 2-2 tie with the struggling Whitecaps (2-6-2)?

Not necessarily.

But the draw did reflect a resolve that has shot Seattle to the top of the Western Conference standings.

“The compliment I gave the team after the game was that they never quit,” Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said.

“A lot of teams in the MLS, they go down, they end up losing all the points. For us to come back and fight … we were fighting. We were going for all three. That’s what I was most proud of.”

There isn’t much to critique about Seattle’s start to the year, but if you’re looking, a (slight) lack of wins at home might be one of them.

The Sounders are 4-0-3 at Lumen Field as opposed to 3-0-1 on the road.

Schmetzer said Saturday that a tie feels like a loss to him, especially in Seattle where the goal is always three points.

But there isn’t anything to be too concerned about.

The Sounders have built a bit of a reputation for starting the season slow before mounting a charge in the second half of the season and forging their way into the MLS Cup.

In 2021, they have taken a different and – to this point, at least – more satisfying approach.

The sun is going to scorch the Puget Sound area over the next couple of days.

But even if it wasn’t, the Sounders would be blazing hot.